Ben Chilwell recently discussed the atmosphere in Chelsea’s locker room following the departure of manager Mauricio Pochettino, which was agreed upon mutually last week.
Pochettino’s departure was the result of a comprehensive end-of-season evaluation conducted by Chelsea’s sporting directors, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, and co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali, who collectively decided it was time for the club to pursue a new direction.
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This decision came even though Pochettino had led the team to a series of victories, securing five consecutive wins that ensured European competition qualification. He was also credited with nurturing the talents of rising stars like Cole Palmer, Malo Gusto, and Noni Madueke.
Despite having a year left on his contract, which offered a degree of continuity amidst a challenging period for the club, Pochettino’s tenure at Stamford Bridge came to an end.
Chilwell expressed his astonishment at Pochettino’s exit, considering the former Tottenham manager had established a solid foundation for whoever would take over the reins at Chelsea.
‘Yeah, you know it was a surprise,’ he told Sky Sports at the Monaco Grand Prix, where the defender was seen with Mason Mount.
‘I think with the end of the season and how well the team did it was definitely a surprise, but you know, good luck to him wherever he goes moving forward.
‘And we have got to look forward now as a club. I am not going to look into the speculation of who might come in but whoever does come in I’m sure it will go well and we can push on next season.’
Chelsea found a steady rhythm in the latter part of the season, losing only one game out of their final 15 league matches.
This performance secured them a sixth-place finish. However, due to Manchester United’s victory in the FA Cup on Saturday, Chelsea is set to compete in the Europa Conference League in the upcoming season, instead of the Europa League.
In spite of this twist, Chilwell praised his colleagues for their efforts during this crucial stretch and believed that they had effectively responded to their critics.
He added: ‘I think you can kind of tell on the pitch the atmosphere has been brilliant, the togetherness. I think the questions were always to do with if we could do it every week.
‘And towards the back end of the season, you saw that the team really gelled together and it was brilliant to watch.’
Despite the team’s successful end to the season, Chilwell faced a challenging time due to injuries, resulting in only nine starts in league games.
This situation led to his exclusion from England’s preliminary 33-man squad for Euro 2024, a decision made more notable by the current lack of available left backs and Luke Shaw’s ongoing efforts to confirm his fitness in time for the tournament this summer.
Nonetheless, Chilwell remained optimistic, choosing to focus on the potential benefits that could arise from not being selected.
‘Yeah, I think exactly you have got to try and take the silver linings with everything,’ he said.
‘I think this will be a good opportunity for me to get a break. It’s not often you get to have a long break so if you look at it in that respect it will be nice to have a break, get recharged and go again next season.’
